SF New Mexican – New app explores New Mexico’s Native American culture

Curious about New Mexico’s tribes? Now there’s an app to help you learn more about the state’s diverse American Indian culture.

The free iPad application, created by the New Mexico State University, offers interesting facts in a fun format about the state’s 22 pueblos, tribes and nations. The goal is to educate residents about the culture, said Justin McHorse, a director with the university’s American Indian program. He said the idea came from a board game created three years ago that has been used as an educational tool in the classrooms.

Modern kids like using technology to learn — whether driving with family or sitting in the classroom. Providing knowledge about the state’s original inhabitants through the latest technology makes sense, and perhaps use of the app will spread across the country.

One of the best ways to combat ignorance about the continent’s first inhabitants is by the spread of knowledge. Eventually, with knowledge, residents in states with fewer Native communities can begin to understand that Indians are living cultures, not just a relic of history.